Class 3A State Championship • 2020 • War Memorial Stadium
HARDING ACADEMY 71, MCGEHEE 44 Attendance 2,598 • Cloudy 42 degrees • Kickoff 6:40 p.m. • Time 2:55 DECEMBER 19, LITTLE ROCK — Eight was definitely great for Harding Academy in the Class 3A championship game. Senior quarterback Caden Sipe, whose jersey number of 17 adds up to eight, threw a state-record eight touchdown passes to lead the Wildcats to their eighth state championship with a record-breaking 71-44 win over McGehee before 2,598 at War Memorial Stadium. Harding Academy’s championships span five decades with titles in 1976 and 1977, 1983, 2002, 2012, 2015, 2019 and now 2020. The Wildcats set a record with their 71 points in the modern playoff era, which began in 1968. The two teams also set a record with the combined 115 points, beating the 111 scored in 2006 in Greenwood’s 5655 win over Pulaski Academy. McGehee survived a brutal half of the playoff bracket with wins over Bismarck, Lincoln, Prescott and Hoxie, which were a combined 32-11, to get to War Memorial Stadium. Prescott and Hoxie were both undefeated. “There’s no question their side of the bracket was tremendous so for them to get here like they did and the way they played, how much class they have and how they play is second to none,” Harding Academy head coach Neil Evans said. “For us to do this back-toback is a difficult task and then on top of the pandemic makes that much sweeter.” Sipe completed 22-of-27 passes to set a state record with 81.5 completion percentage as well as his eight touchdown passes.
HARDING ACADEMY OFFENSE QB Caden Sipe SR WR Carter Neal SR SR Ty Dugger SR LT Chase Brown SR LG Jacob Breezeel JR C Elijah Swindle SR RG Foster Shipman JR RT Chase Brown SR SR Jackson Fox JR SR Andrew Miller JR WR Landon Koch SO PK Kyle Ferrie SO
Dugger accounted for 32 points with five touchdowns and a two-point conversion pass from Sipe that applied the Arkansas Activities Association’s State championships for Harding Sportsmanship Rule that runs the clock Academy continuously with a 71-36 lead with 9:15 left in the game. “It’s probably the best game I have Touchdown passes by Harding Academy QB Caden Sipe, which set a cham- ever played in my life,” Dugger said. Sipe added: “He seems to always be pionship game record open. We’re always on the same page. We’ve been friends since the third grade.” Points scored in the championship Dugger, the Most Valuable Player in game combined by both teams, which Harding Academy’s 2019 championship set a championship game record game, had 10 catches for 248 yards. “Those two guys are special people,” “It could not happen to a better human being than him,” Evans said. “He Evans said. “They are irreplaceable. You can definitely see that those guys deserves every good thing that comes have a relationship. They made some his way. For him to put a cap on his big plays.” career the way he did, you couldn’t script it any better.” Miller had seven catches for 117 yards, ran for 62 yards and had a kickoff Sipe threw for 430 yards with return for 17 yards for 196 all-purpose touchdown tosses of 57, 64, 2 and 29 yards to Ty Dugger, 16 and 55 yards to yards. McGehee’s Jody Easter had 313 allAndrew Miller, 28 yards to Jackson Fox, purpose yards with 120 rushing, 123 and 21 yards to Carter Neal. Sipe also ran for 113 yards with a 62-yard receiving and 70 returning kickoffs. He ran for a score and caught two scoring touchdown run. passes from Jordan Owens, who threw Sipe was especially precise on third down, completing 5-of-7 passes for 100 for 248 yards and three touchdowns. Both teams had big plays in the yards in helping Harding Academy convert 7-of-10 conversions on the key game. Harding Academy accounted for 505 of its 601 yards on 17 plays. down. McGehee had 12 plays for 414 yards “The credit all goes to my offensive out of its 498 yards of total offense. line, the coaches and the receivers,” Sipe said. “It just means so much to this senior class to end this season and our MOST VALUABLE PLAYER career on a high note.” Caden Sipe ■ QB ■ Harding Acad Dugger also returned an interception 22 yards for a touchdown in the second BURLSWORTH AWARD WINNERS quarter that put Harding Academy up, Elijah Swindle ■ OL ■ Harding Acad 21-0. Tyler Stallings ■ DL ■ McGehee State Championship Numbers
8 8
115
McGEHEE DEFENSE DE Tyler Stallings JR NM Elijah White SR DE Tyrique Newman SO OLB Channing Woodson JR ILB Andrew Mizell JR ILB Micah Smith SR OLB Ayden Bailey SR CB Marcus Rose SR CB Demarius Manning SR S Jody Easter JR S Andreas Jordan JR P Demarius Manning SR
McGEHEE OFFENSE QB Jordan Owens SR RB Channing Woodson JR HB Jody Easter JR HB Samuel Polite JR WR Demarius Manning SR LT Christian Maya SR LG Ryan Barnes JR C Jordan Givens JR RG Tyler Stallings JR RT Andrew Mizell JR WR Andreas Jordan JR PK Matthew Irion JR
12
HARDING ACADEMY DEFENSE DE Hunter Pagan SR NM Cooper Welch JR DE Levi Mercer JR OLB Jeffrey Mercer SR ILB Eli Wallis JR ILB Peyton Cole SO OLB Wyatt Simmons FR CB Andrew Miller JR CB Ty Duggar SR S Aaron Chrism JR S Kade Smith SO P Kyle Ferrie SO
